The Best Halloween Books for Kids: Our Spooky Season Favorites
Get into the Halloween spirit with our family's favorite spooky season reads! My boys and I read through dozens of stories, curating the best non-scary reads that are high on creativity and fun, so you can discover the best children's books to add to your fall reading list.
In our house, it’s the season for pumpkin patches, spooky crafts, unhinged outfits (that are sometimes not costumes), and, of course, the best Halloween books for kids. We've curated a list of our current favorites that we love to read together. They're full of fun storylines and meaningful lessons.
The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John
Another author and illustrator duo we’re pretty obsessed with in this house. Their stories always have a lesson to learn wrapped in lots of laughs.
The Halloween Tree by Susan Montanari
This is the story of a Christmas tree farm reject’s transformation into the "trick or tree"—it's one of my all-time favorite Halloween reads.
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
An imaginative and engaging story of Rebecca, a woman with a pumpkin prejudice, who learns to turn her lemons into lemonade—or, in this case, her pumpkins into pies!
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Zdrago
I love this author so much. Gustavo has been a favorite for years, and we love Vlad just as much, too.
Vlad, The Fabolous Vampire by Flavia Zdrago
I love this author so much. Gustavo has been a favorite for years, and we love Vlad just as much, too.
Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell
This book brings the life cycle of a plant to life in a fun, fictional story of a pumpkin named Jack.
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
A captivating rhyming tale of a kind witch who teaches a powerful lesson about inclusivity from the author of The Gruffalo.
There’s a Ghost In This House by Oliver Jeffers
We have so much fun ghost hunting through these beautiful illustrations, with shrieks and giggles at every turn.
The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason
This is an adorable story about how the things that make us different are the very things that make us special.
I Spy Spooky Night by Jean Marzollo
We have long loved this series and enjoy cuddling up together, spending long stretches of time searching for the riddles in the photos. This book will give you hours of entertainment!
How to Draw Cute Spooky Stuff by Angela Nguyen
We picked this up at random while breezing through the library and the boys have already begged me to buy a copy for their permanent collection. It’s been fun to watch them stretch their artistic skills with illustrations that are on the more-cute-than-scary side of Halloween.
Spooky Silly Halloween Jokes by Chris Cate
This has been really fun to watch my oldest run with, often taking it outside to read jokes himself to all the other neighborhood kids.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz
It’s a classic story that carries nostalgia for the parent reading it, and I love that it’s a bit longer than a lot of modern picture books. We err on the side of mixing in old longer stories with new short pithy modern ones because I refuse to believe my kiddos are lacking in attention span ;)
Hey There!
Looking for your next family favorite? Browse our 📚 Book Guide here to find your new read from our kid-approved library! And don't forget to ✨ follow us here on Instagram for fresh, fun ideas that make reading a blast! The fun doesn't end when the book closes!